Chapter 186: I’d Like To Know What That Feels Like
The next morning, Ningyan woke to solid, steady warmth and the unmistakable presence of someone beneath him.
His brows furrowed as he shifted, still half-asleep, aware of the slow rise and fall beneath him... and the firm hold around his waist that kept him in place.
Slowly, he opened his eyes. White lashes lifted just enough to reveal Wuhen, who was still deep in sleep.
Ningyan was draped over him, pressed close, Wuhen’s arm locked securely around his body as if he had no intention of letting go even in sleep.
"...You’ve got to be kidding me," Ningyan muttered under his breath.
From what he could tell, they were still in Jun Haoxuan’s chamber.
But Haoxuan himself was nowhere in sight.
They were alone.
Well... Not entirely.
Ningyan shifted, trying to ease himself out of Wuhen’s grip, but the movement only made Wuhen tighten his hold unconsciously.
A breath hitched faintly in Ningyan’s throat. "...This is ridiculous."
"That grip does seem a little excessive." A deep whispered voice came from behind.
Ningyan’s heart skipped. He turned his head and there he was.
Lan Meishan.
He was dressed neatly, composed, without his usual glasses, his emerald serpent eyes sharp with a kind of lively, unsettling amusement.
He stepped closer, stopping beside the bed, and offered Ningyan a bright, almost too-easy smile.
"Good morning, Meishan’s affection," he said smoothly. "You look... particularly appetising today."
Ningyan stared at him with a flat and unmoved expression.
Yes. Definitely not Meishan.
He let his chin drop back onto Wuhen’s chest, his voice quieter now. "...Can’t he come back? Even once?"
For a moment, Meishan actually looked surprised. Then he moved, sitting at the edge of the bed, tilting his head.
"Am I that terrible?" he asked, genuinely curious. "You haven’t even tried to get to know me."
Ningyan didn’t answer. His silence was answer enough.
Meishan leaned in close. His eyes sharpened, something wild flickering beneath that playful surface, something that made Ningyan’s pulse pick up.
"I won’t hurt you," he said lightly. "I am him. He is me."
Then he leaned back with a faint grimace. "...Though I’d argue I’m the better version."
Ningyan gave him a dull look. Utterly unimpressed. "Where’s Haoxuan?"
Meishan didn’t seem offended. "He’s in a meeting," he replied casually.
Ningyan’s gaze lingered on him for a moment longer then dropped. Something in his chest felt... heavy. "Did he tell you about the plan?"
"The war we plan to wage against Lan Yunlai," Meishan nodded. "Yes... he mentioned it."
His sharp, attentive gaze lingered on Ningyan, taking in every flicker of surprise on his face. "I told him I wasn’t interested."
Ningyan blinked. "And what did he say?"
"He said I don’t have a choice." Meishan smiled faintly. "So now I’m interested."
He leaned in again. Too close.
"How long," he murmured, his eyes glinting with something restless, "am I expected to stay away from you?"
Ningyan stiffened.
Meishan’s gaze dipped, slow and deliberate.
"I see why he’s so taken with you," he continued. "So.. consumed."
A faint smile curved his lips. "I think I’d like to know what that feels like."
His hand lifted but before it could reach Ningyan, Wuhen moved.
In one smooth motion, he shifted, turning Ningyan fully into his arms, pulling him away as his tails swept between them, cutting Meishan off completely.
Ningyan let out a small breath of laughter despite himself.
Meishan clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.
Wuhen’s red gold eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly as they settled on Ningyan.
"Don’t mind him, Yan’er," he murmured, voice still rough with sleep.
Ningyan smiled. "How long have you been in here?"
"Since before sunrise," Wuhen muttered, already pulling him closer, burying his face against Ningyan’s neck. "Mmh.. You smell so good, Yan’er."
Ningyan swallowed, a faint shiver running through him at the low murmur against his skin.
Behind them, Meishan watched silently. Then he straightened, crossing his arms.
"We should have breakfast, Ningyan," he said. "Without the fox."
"If you say it like that," Ningyan tilted his head, glancing at him from where he was still half-held in Wuhen’s arms. "he definitely won’t agree."
As if to prove the point, Wuhen pressed his lips to his neck, his fangs grazing Ningyan’s skin in a series of soft, lewd kisses. The heat of it made him shiver.
Ningyan’s eyes fell shut and his breath broke, a flush spreading from his cheeks down to his throat.
Meishan watched every shift, his gaze sharpened and intense. Under that stare, Ningyan’s eyes went dazed, his focus fracturing as Wuhen’s kisses turned hungry. Fangs nibbled and bit into skin, leaving dark marks behind.
Wuhen’s grip tightened, fisting the fabric of Ningyan’s robe while his ears perked and his tails lashed.
Watching them, Meishan’s expression darkened, his interest turning into a quiet, heavy hunger.
"Wuhen..." Ningyan forgot how to breathe. His fingers tightened instinctively around Wuhen’s collar, gripping hard as if it was the only thing keeping him grounded.
And then Meishan moved.
Wuhen’s tails were pushed aside without hesitation as he climbed onto the bed, drawn in as if resisting wasn’t even an option.
Ningyan’s breath turned uneven.
Meishan was suddenly right there. Close enough that their noses brushed. His smile carried a quiet kind of temptation.
Ningyan’s heart pounded.
It isn’t him. He repeated it to himself over and over.
But... it still was. Just... a version of him he didn’t understand and trust.
A version of him he didn’t know how to handle.
Meishan didn’t touch him. He just stayed there close enough to blur the line.
His gaze dipped briefly to Ningyan’s lips then lifted again.
His gaze dipped briefly to Ningyan’s lips then lifted again.
And Ningyan didn’t push him away. He couldn’t.
Wuhen’s fingers slipped into Ningyan’s trousers, sliding between his cheeks before a single finger pushed slowly inside.
The contact pulled a soft, unguarded sound from Ningyan. His eyes shut tight, his grip on Wuhen’s shoulders tightening as he leaned into the sensation.